Snakes and spiders in Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County, home of Columbus, has 7 snake and 82 spider species on record, from 209 licensed snake and 1,078 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the eastern copperhead, the eastern massasauga, the timber rattlesnake, the northern black widow and 2 more are on the Ohio list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What snakes are in Franklin County?
In all, 7 snake species are on the Franklin County list. The most recorded are the northern water snake (66), the DeKay's brown snake (45) and the common garter snake (40).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 66 | 5% |
| 2 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | 45 | 5% |
| 3 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 40 | 2% |
| 4 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | 9 | 4% |
| 5 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | 9 | 4% |
| 6 | Queen snake Regina septemvittata | 9 | 3% |
| 7 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | 4 | 2% |
When are snakes out in Franklin County?
Observation records of snakes in Franklin County run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 26% of them, the same peak as Ohio as a whole.
What spiders are in Franklin County?
In all, 82 spider species are on the Franklin County list. The most recorded are the orchard orbweaver (112), the zebra spider (94) and the flea jumping spider (60). Franklin County holds more than half of all Ohio records of the flea jumping spider, Trochosa sepulchralis and the Pennsylvania grass spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Ohio records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orchard orbweaver Leucauge venusta | 112 | 23% |
| 2 | Zebra spider Salticus scenicus | 94 | 44% |
| 3 | Flea jumping spider Naphrys pulex | 60 | 56% |
| 4 | Bold jumper Phidippus audax | 53 | 15% |
| 5 | Paraphidippus aurantius | 47 | 25% |
| 6 | Familiar jumping spider Platycryptus undatus | 40 | 14% |
| 7 | Asian wall jumper Attulus fasciger | 36 | 35% |
| 8 | Cone-shaped orbweaver Cyclosa conica | 25 | 45% |
| 9 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 22 | 10% |
| 10 | Trochosa sepulchralis | 22 | 71% |
| 11 | American green crab spider Misumessus oblongus | 20 | 20% |
| 12 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | 20 | 10% |
| 13 | Spined micrathena Micrathena gracilis | 20 | 11% |
| 14 | Spotted orbweaver Neoscona crucifera | 19 | 11% |
| 15 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 16 | 17% |
| 16 | White-jawed jumping spider Hentzia mitrata | 16 | 23% |
| 17 | Bowl and doily spider Frontinella pyramitela | 14 | 14% |
| 18 | Triangulate bud spider Steatoda triangulosa | 14 | 18% |
| 19 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | 13 | 14% |
| 20 | Common white-cheeked jumping spider Pelegrina proterva | 11 | 23% |
| 21 | Peppered jumper Pelegrina galathea | 11 | 18% |
| 22 | Western lynx spider Oxyopes scalaris | 11 | 44% |
| 23 | Wetland giant wolf spider Tigrosa helluo | 11 | 9% |
| 24 | Dysdera crocata | 10 | 19% |
| 25 | Slender ant mimicking jumping spider Synemosyna formica | 10 | 43% |
| 26 | White micrathena Micrathena mitrata | 10 | 17% |
| 27 | Boreal combfoot Steatoda borealis | 9 | 21% |
| 28 | Parson spider Herpyllus ecclesiasticus | 9 | 16% |
| 29 | Putnam's jumper Phidippus putnami | 9 | 16% |
| 30 | Tuftlegged orbweaver Mangora placida | 9 | 16% |
| 31 | Arrowhead orbweaver Verrucosa arenata | 8 | 7% |
| 32 | Black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia | 7 | 6% |
| 33 | Black-banded crab spider Synema parvulum | 7 | 27% |
| 34 | Lance wolf spider Schizocosa avida | 7 | 30% |
| 35 | Longbodied cellar spider Pholcus phalangioides | 7 | 32% |
| 36 | Arabesque orbweaver Neoscona arabesca | 6 | 12% |
| 37 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 6 | 4% |
| 38 | Nearctic white-striped running crab spider Philodromus rufus | 6 | 18% |
| 39 | Thin-spined jumping spider Tutelina elegans | 6 | 29% |
| 40 | Tuberculated crab spider Tmarus angulatus | 6 | 24% |
| 41 | Banded garden spider Argiope trifasciata | 5 | 3% |
| 42 | Cyclosa turbinata | 5 | 22% |
| 43 | Dock spider Dolomedes scriptus | 5 | 13% |
| 44 | Flower crab spider Mecaphesa asperata | 5 | 12% |
| 45 | Hammock spider Pityohyphantes costatus | 5 | 18% |
| 46 | Labyrinth orbweaver Metepeira labyrinthea | 5 | 14% |
| 47 | Metallic crab spider Philodromus marxi | 5 | 19% |
| 48 | Sylvan jumping spider Colonus sylvanus | 5 | 15% |
| 49 | White-banded fishing spider Dolomedes albineus | 5 | 14% |
| 50 | Garden ghost spider Hibana gracilis | 4 | 17% |
| 51 | Long-legged ghost spider Wulfila saltabundus | 4 | 40% |
| 52 | Sixspotted fishing spider Dolomedes triton | 4 | 6% |
| 53 | Sixspotted orbweaver Araniella displicata | 4 | 8% |
| 54 | Variegated ground spider Sergiolus capulatus | 4 | 21% |
| 55 | Arrowshaped micrathena Micrathena sagittata | 3 | 14% |
| 56 | Black laceweaver Amaurobius ferox | 3 | 9% |
| 57 | Brilliant jumping spider Phidippus clarus | 3 | 8% |
| 58 | Shore spider Pardosa milvina | 3 | 8% |
| 59 | Spitting spider Scytodes thoracica | 3 | 38% |
| 60 | Banded fishing spider Dolomedes vittatus | 2 | 7% |
When are spiders out in Franklin County?
Observation records of spiders in Franklin County run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 25% of them; across Ohio the peak is June.
What stands out in Franklin County
Species for which Franklin County holds a large share of all Ohio records: Trochosa sepulchralis, 71% (22 of 31); the flea jumping spider, 56% (60 of 107); the cone-shaped orbweaver, 45% (25 of 56); the zebra spider, 44% (94 of 213); the western lynx spider, 44% (11 of 25); the slender ant mimicking jumping spider, 43% (10 of 23); the Asian wall jumper, 35% (36 of 103); Paraphidippus aurantius, 25% (47 of 190).
Common in Ohio, not on the Franklin County list
Among the snakes most recorded across Ohio, these do not reach the county list: the eastern racer (154 statewide), the eastern fox snake (127 statewide), the red-bellied snake (124 statewide), the eastern copperhead (94 statewide) and the smooth green snake (81 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Franklin County
No copperheads reach the county list, but the eastern copperhead is on the Ohio list: treat any snake like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake, the eastern milksnake and the eastern rat snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Ohio under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake. No coral snakes reach the county list, and GBIF holds no coral snake record for Ohio under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the eastern milksnake. No widow spiders reach the county list, but the northern black widow and the southern black widow are on the Ohio list: treat any spider like them as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the triangulate bud spider, the boreal combfoot and the common house spider. No recluse spiders reach the county list, but the brown recluse is on the Ohio list: treat any spider like it as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the longbodied cellar spider, the spitting spider and the Pennsylvania grass spider.
Franklin County among Ohio counties
By licensed snake records Franklin County ranks 7th of 88 Ohio counties with any.
Other Ohio counties with their own page: Summit County, Ottawa County, Erie County, Cuyahoga County, Montgomery County, Hamilton County and Richland County.
The whole state: venomous species in Ohio, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.